Book Discussion: “Shipping Lords and Coolie Stokers” by Ravi Ahuja (CeMIS)

A Tragic shipping accident opens a window on racialized labour management in an age of imperialism.
When eighty-seven passengers and crew died in the shipwreck of the Royal Mail ship Egypt in 1922, the accident gave rise to a racist international press campaign against the employment of Indian seafarers, such as those who made up most of the ship’s crew. This was not unusual at a time when a fifth of the British mercantile marine’s workforce was recruited from the subcontinent. Ravi Ahuja explains the business logic behind a labour regime steeped in racist irrationalism and examines the scope for solidarity among a divided workforce in an age of imperialism – an issue that is no less relevant in our own time.

Discussants:
Peter Birke (Göttingen University)
Samita Sen (Cambridge University)
Rupa Viswanath (Göttingen University)
Klaus Weinhauer (Bielefeld University)

Date and Time: Thursday, 5 June 2025, 3pm
Venue: Alte Mensa, Wilhelmsplatz 3, Göttingen.

The event can also be attended digitally. To register, please write to labour_repository@cemis.uni-goettingen.de.